


Ins and Outs

by tetranocular



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Alcohol, Blood, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-12-07 08:46:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11620056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tetranocular/pseuds/tetranocular
Summary: The bestiary’s quite bare if you get down to it. It lacks some of the more intimate details of many creatures. Who would Alucard be to decline such a polite request to fill in the gaps?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FixedWithBrokenParts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixedWithBrokenParts/gifts).



> I don't know when I'll finish it... or even if I'll finish it. We'll see... 
> 
> (ΦωΦ)✧

“You must have a very good reason for waking me up, _Belmont_.”

 

“You damn nearly slept a year, you can stay awake for another hour or two.”

 

A worn down notebook was pressed flat onto the small table in the center of the room, Trevor’s form lingering over it. Adrian kissed his teeth with a 'tsk', but didn’t seem like he was inclined to remove himself from the situation.

 

“I don’t have to be here.” He dismissed, turning his head very slightly, gaze moving just a little left of Trevor.

 

“Then leave. You’re right by the door anyhow.”

 

The fact of the matter was that Adrian was too curious for his own good. His mother called it a gift, but he counts it as one of his many vices. He stood in the doorway of Trevor’s room—one of the three their little group had rented out for the night—with a cautious expression. Trevor was the first to speak this time.

 

“But you don’t want to leave. You’re eager to find out what I needed. Isn’t that right, _vampire_?” The hunter’s voice was mocking. He was taunting him with that sly grin. He probably believes he has him all figured out. It made Adrian bristle and narrow his eyes. And the worst part? He did understand Adrian's intentions in this moment. Trevor, Sypha, and himself had been traveling together for over a month, trying to get ahead of the horde as it ate up the land behind them. Adrian never made an attempt to be mysterious and keep parts of him hidden, it was more a natural inclination. Yet, he still feels as if he’s been bested.

 

Without another word about it, he sat across from Trevor, ankles crossed in an elegant fashion. No use arguing when he was right, anyways. He tilted his head up, still attempting to retain his haughty nature whilst giving in to his curiosity.

 

“What’s this, then?” Adrian asked in reference to the notebook, lips pressed into a vain purse. “I had assumed you couldn’t write... nor even read.” He added, corners of his mouth turning up as he silently enjoyed his quip. He was tempted to go even further with the joke, but was impatient, and wanted to know.

 

Trevor sat back in his seat comfortably and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Please, I may be a drunkard, but I’m not illiterate. I’m a Belmont for fucks sake. I’m not common.”

 

“You certainly are uncommon.” Adrian breathed.

 

“Vampires are snarky bastards. Duly noted.”

 

Adrien’s brows lowered. He was getting sick of the Belmont's cockiness real fast. It seems as if the hunter caught wind of his annoyance, but instead of pursuing, Trevor moved on. Finally.

 

“The section on vampires in the family bestiary was incredibly barren. All we knew were which superstitions were true and how to kill you. Not like we needed to know much more, though.”

 

“So you’d like me to help fill in the gaps of your knowledge. For what purpose?”

 

“Well, we want to do all we can to improve our chances.”

 

“Against my father.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“I see.”

 

“You’ll help, then.”

 

“Maybe.” Adrian glanced to the side once again, feigning resistance.

 

“ _Maybe_.” Trevor echoed, brows raised. A little bit of payback, Adrian supposes…

 

Of course, the amused smile that accidentally came was a dead giveaway to the fact that he was really just messing around now. And the damnedest thing happened. A smile broke onto Trevor’s face as he caught onto Adrian’s antics. It was only a second, but it really was a moment of playful understanding between them. And for just that one second… he saw something in the Belmont’s eyes that he hadn’t seen before (at least, not directed towards him). It was a connection. Their names held no weight just for right now. Things were personal. But it went away even faster than it came, and all of a sudden, they were back to being just… vampire and hunter.

 

Adrian’s smile dropped.

 

“What do you need to know, Belmont?” He finally broke the silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got impatient for my own fic. Here's chapter 2!

****“Tell me about feeding.”

 

“Feeding?”

 

“Hunger, actually.”

 

“Hm..”

 

Adrian’s eyes shut as he collected his thoughts. It’s not that it was a difficult thing to talk about, but he’s never had to explain it to anyone. After all, it was just… there. He supposed it was different than the same hunger a human has, but the trick was finding out how it may be different so he wasn’t relaying boring information to the man in front of him.

 

“Humans feed in order to survive. Without feeding, they will die. It’s necessary to keep them alive. Vampires feed to grow more powerful.” He answered.

 

“That’s why you could survive without having fed for at least a year.”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“But tell me about the hunger.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Why _must_ you feed? You don’t _need_ to grow more powerful.” Trevor insisted, shifting in his seat almost irritably. Adrian took another few seconds to think.

 

“I suppose I mustn’t.”

 

He opened his eyes to look at Trevor, who’s brows were furrowed, seemingly in frustration. He ought to be a little less cryptic. This WAS to help, after all.

 

“Take alcohol, for example…” Adrian started, knowing this would be the only comparison that could possibly make sense to the man. “Imagine going a week without it.”

 

“Don’t have to imagine…” Trevor muttered quietly, still obviously bitter about the time in between here and the last inn they came across. Adrian continued, ignoring the interjection.

 

“If you have it at the end of the week, the craving disappears for a short while, correct?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Imagine it had been two weeks.”

 

“God strike me dead.”

 

“Your craving at the end of the two weeks has increased. You want it much more than before. But you have your drink and it goes away.”

 

“I see where this is going.”

 

“Take a month…”

 

“You’re absolutely manic for the shit.”

 

“You’re understanding it now.” Adrian folded his arms over his chest. Trevor brought his hand to his chin, thinking. It only just occurred to Adrian that the hunter hadn’t even been writing any of this down. He decided not to say anything.

 

“It’s just safer, then?”

 

“Indefinitely so. It’s the difference between a calm feeding and a grizzly one. A hungry vampire will drink with reservations. A starved one takes no prisoners.”

 

It seems Trevor finally remembered he was supposed to be writing, and took a couple of notes.

 

“Do you even have it anymore?” Adrian asked.

 

“Which?”

 

“The bestiary. Or was it lost?”

 

“Lost.”

 

… Adrian dropped the topic. It seemed the hunter wasn’t too keen on talking about it. It’s not like they needed the entire thing, anymore. Just a small section on vampires, he supposes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter yallre getting today. No more till tomorrow.

“How do you bite?”

 

“Would you like a demonstration?”

 

The question hung in the air a couple seconds longer than Adrian would have liked. The worst part, he wasn’t sure why it did. Trevor’s face was unreadable. On one hand, the man looked repulsed. Angry he’d even joke about it. It was like Trevor was metaphorically smacking him in the face. _That_ made sense. The other side didn’t make as much sense however. The hunter’s eyes were full of interest, of all things! It was the same dangerous curiosity that Adrian possessed. A morbid curiosity. It was like covering your eyes, but peeking through your fingers.

 

“It was a joke, Belmont. You can stop staring at me like that. I haven’t taken from you, nor do I intend to.”

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you… I just don’t believe you. No, wait, it’s not that I don’t believe you, I just don’t trust you.” Trevor pauses, and then grins. He was back to normal, it seemed. Or it was a coverup. “Actually I don’t trust NOR believe you.”

 

“Ugh.”  
  
Adrian all of a sudden wasn’t interested in answering questions anymore, and he leaned back in his seat, arms folded across his chest impatiently. “I don’t know how you expect this to help, honestly…”  
  
Trevor didn’t answer, instead staying on the previous topic.

 

“I’ve never seen it.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Feeding.”

 

“It’s not the most attractive thing in the world. I do it in private.”

 

“Cause you’re afraid you won’t look like such a gentleman when you’re latched onto the carcass of whatever you were fast enough to catch that day, sucking it dry?”

 

“Maybe we should switch places. It’s a far more appropriate situation for a heathen such as yourself.”

 

“Just tell me how you bite. Vampires leave two clean holes on the neck. If you’re unaware, if a human bites something, there’s marks from the top and the bottom rows of teeth. Because the pressure can only be applied with the lower jaw. So how does it happen?”

 

“I don’t spend all day thinking about my bite technique. How is any of this going to help?”

 

“It’s not. I was curious. We were on the topic anyways.”

 

“Well let us move to a different topic, then.”

 

Adrien made it painfully obvious he wasn’t enjoying this. He doesn’t know what he should have expected honestly. His curiosity will be the death of him someday. The hunter begrudgingly moved on, with a bit of hesitation.

 

“Alright… the bat thing.”

 

“… What _about_ the bat thing?”

 

“Explain it.”

 

“ _Which part?_ ”

 

“Actually, you know what? You can go. We’ll do this another time.”

 

Adrien was pleased that his attitude was enough to get him dismissed. He had perfected noncompliance. It was how he got out of talking with his father. It’s an art form. He got up and left the room with his chest high. Trevor’s aggravation was palpable. It was exactly the way he liked it. Tomorrow, they’ll begin again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW how many months has it been?? Too many, that's for goddamn sure. 
> 
> After seeing how many kudos I got while being gone (I get emails for every single one), I decided it was about time I got back on track and started writing a bit more. After all, you all seemed to enjoy reading it, and I enjoyed writing it, so why not? 
> 
> I will warn you, updates will not be consistent. I've got too much going on in my life to promise regular updates, but new chapters WILL come! 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me!

**Ins and Outs 4**

 

In the late hours, after Trevor had a few (many) drinks to warm himself up, he fell into his bed with ease. He had been lucky that Adrian didn’t catch onto anything… or maybe he did. Trevor didn’t know. At the very least, he was relieved the vampire hadn’t questioned his motives, whether to preserve Trevor’s pride or his own.

 

_What are you even trying to accomplish?_

 

He had asked himself this countless times. What _did_ he hope to accomplish? The only things he needed to know about vampires are the things he already knew. Like he said before, the bestiary taught which superstitions were true and how to kill a vampire. You didn’t need much more. The new information he wanted to get would hardly improve their chances. So then why?

 

Trevor was too drunk to care. Well, that and also he had fallen asleep not five minutes after his head hit the pillow.

 

***

 

_It was cold. At least, he recognized it to be so. He wasn’t so sure he felt the biting iciness of the air, but rather understood it to be true. A surreal, nipping chill. But again, he didn’t feel cold. He was standing in the snow. Soft, powdery, light… it came over the toes of his shoes, but no higher. Everything was clean, untouched. Even behind him, there weren’t any of his own footprints in the snow. Everything was as it should be for a few long, beautiful moments._

 

_But then, there was growling. Harsh snarls of a predator and squeaks of its prey, an unfair game of tag, where the former was already latched onto its prey like a tick or other parasite. It wasn’t long until the aforementioned pair came into sight. It was a deer, running into his field of vision, and then collapsing maybe five yards ahead of Trevor. A deer with something dark clinging to it’s back. He wanted to leave. He knew this was bad news. Yet his feet stayed firmly in place, and his eyes were locked on the terrible mess of red that ruined the clean, white snow._

 

_That thing on top of the deer was hunched over it, and he couldn’t quite make out what it was. A wolf? No. It wasn’t furry. A demon from the hoard? Again, no. It didn’t seem like that. Finally, he took a step, but it was forwards, instead of back. And the soft crunch of snow beneath his shoe made the predator turn it’s head over towards Trevor._

 

_It was Adrian. Bloodstained. Inhuman. Uncivilized. But it was Adrian. Or was it? This didn’t look like him. This was a beast wearing Adrian’s face. An animal._

 

_A vampire._

 

_Maybe that’s all Adrian was when you get down to his core. A vampire. Being half human doesn’t make him any less vampire. It doesn’t matter if he can walk and talk like a human. Demons can talk pretty, sit pretty, and if desired, even look pretty. But they’re still demons. Trevor was a fool for thinking Adrian was any different. Because what was in front of him right now… this isn’t a human._

 

_The eyes that bore into him were red. He was far enough away that he shouldn’t be able to see them so clearly, yet they felt like they were right in front of his face. Adrian didn’t move from his position, hunched over the dead animal he had been feeding off of, and so Trevor very slowly reached for his whip. Except, it wasn’t there. He had no weapons. No nothing. He was at a stalemate, not being able to make any move to escape. His legs prevented such. He was stuck, heart booming against his chest._

 

_Come on, Belmont. Think. Adrian didn’t look like he was going to attack, but he needed a plan in case he did._

 

_No. He was a prisoner in this moment. He couldn’t do a single thing. That was the purpose of this, wasn’t it? To render him useless. To make him watch this horrid display. To remind him that Adrian was nothing more than another creature of the night._

 

_But in the fraction of a second he had blinked, Adrian moved, and was now standing before him. Vivid. Real. It made his stomach turn. He couldn’t do a single thing. The vampire rose a crimson-stained hand up to sickeningly stroke his cheek. So delicate, thin. Cold. Except Trevor didn’t feel the cold. His eyes were still red. He was hungry. And Trevor was simply prey for him, wasn’t he?_

 

_But then… the red was replaced with the familiar golden eyes he had been forced to look at throughout their journey. Beautiful. He hated how well the word described Adrian. Beautiful. He felt sick. He wanted to get away. This didn’t feel right. How could he still think Adrian was beautiful after that whole display? It was wrong. He was conflicted. Adrian wasn’t human, he was a beast. So then why did he feel so human to him in this moment? So vulnerable._

 

_Bloodied lips pressed against his own. It was revolting. But then why was he kissing back? Adrian’s eyes were shut. He had done the same. Why? It was wrong. This was wrong. He felt a tongue prod at his lips, and like some sort of obsequious bastard, he opened his mouth, tasting the blood on the vampire’s tongue and—_

 

Trevor leaned over his bedside and suddenly vomited onto the floor of the inn. He gasped and panted, not having been prepared for the rude awakening. He was sweating like a madman. Curse all of these blankets— he threw them off and rubbed his head with a deep groan. It was morning, yet he feels incredibly unrested. Trevor swung his legs over the side of the bed and got off, avoiding the foul puddle he unceremoniously dumped before, before stumbling over towards a mirror. He looked like utter shit. He felt like utter shit. That dream…

 

He shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t know what it meant, and he didn’t want to.

 

Trevor left the room and told one of the staff about the mess he had made. They’d be charged a little more for that to be cleaned. He really should have asked for a bucket last night.

 

He watched a maid scurry to his room, almost feeling sorry for her. His throat still burned from the vomit, he doesn’t even want to think about the fact that she has to deal with that. And then, his gaze fell on Adrian, who was standing by the window, just out of the sun’s reach. He seemed ready to participate again. But this time, Trevor wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to, anymore.


End file.
